Automatic electric time switch



y 20, 1941- B. F. FLEGEL 2,242,517

' AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH Filed Aug. 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l r7) Mlllllllll 4 v I J LIEZEENTOR I 3 l W W y 20, 1941- B. F. FLEGEL 2,242,517

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH Filed Aug. 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11 y /7 In,-

Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH Benjamin F. Flegel, Racine, Wis.

Application August 31, 1940, Serial No. 354,921

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in au- I tomatic electric time switches.

Automatic time switches are employed to control electric circuits for the lights of store show windows, sign boards, etc. The common form of time switch now in use will control one or two circuits, but for two-circuit control a single switch, according to standard practice, could only function to control the two circuits simultaneously and identically. Within the contemplation of the present invention, when the time switch is constructed for the control of two circuits, it can be adjusted to automatically independently control both of said circuits in a plurality of combinations of modes and sequence of operation.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic electric time switch in which the contact actuating members are put under compression prior to the operation of the same, with the result that when the contact actuating members are operated they move very rapidly and with considerable force.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an automatic electric time switch structure, means whereby the compression elements for the contact actuating members will not stick and refrain from operating.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic electric time switch wherein extremely fine settings may be attained and where- I in the contact actuating elements may be set for any time within a relatively short period of the desired time of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic electric time switch wherein the contact actuating members are automatically put under compression by means which generate an unusual amount of power without undue strain on the motor for the clock mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic electric time switch in which the spring or compression elements for the contact actuating members are carried fast by undersurface portions of the time dials.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic time switch in which the mecha- A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic electric time switch which is of very simple construction, is strong and durable, is simple to adjust and operate, is inexpensive to manufacture and install, and which is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved automatic electric time switch, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved-time switch with the parts in one position of adjustment;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch with the parts in the position of adjustment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig, 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the switch;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the switch mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view of the switch in a position of adjustment different from that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of the showing in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front view of the switch in still another position of adjustment;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary front view of the switch with the dial advanced slightly beyond the position of Fig. 8 and showing the relative position of the operating members;

Fig. 10 is a front view of a modified form of the improved electric time switch adapted for two-circuit control;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line lI-II of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line I2|2 of Fig. 10.

Referring first more particularly to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, it will appear that the numerals I5 and I6 indicate respectively front and rear plates, formed of insulating material, on and between which the switch mechanism is mounted. Said plates are held together in spaced, parallel relation by transverse posts or studs I I. In practice the entire frame and mechanism carried thereby may be enclosed by a suitable casing (not shown) and the device is mounted vertically wherever convenient.

Mounted on the outer face of the rear plate I6 is an electric clock mechanism l3 which receives electricity from any convenient electrical outlet (not shown) through circuit wires IS. A driven shaft in the clock mechanism l8 extends through the rear plate I6 and by means of a series of reduction gears, designated generally by the numoral 23, a clock dial shaft 2| is revolved in a clock-wise direction. Said clock dial shaft 2| is journalled in a suitable bearing 22 and extends through the front plate I5.

The shaft 2|, forwardly of the front plate l5, adjustably revolubly carries a clock dial 23 and the same is graduated in a counter-clockwise direction from twelve noon to twelve midnight through one hundred and eighty degrees of the dial surface, and through the remainder of the dial surface the graduations extend from twelve midnight to twelve noon. There are also suitable quadrant markings to represent noon, evening, night and morning.

Adapted to cooperate with the dial 23 are a pair of operating members including a time-on arm 24 and a time-off lug 25. The arm 24 is mounted adjacent the outer face of the dial and its beveled end portion 26 projects beyond the periphery of said dial. The inner end of said arm is .apertured and is adjustably mounted on the clock dial shaft 2| inwardly of a clamping winged nut 21 which is threaded onto the outer extremity of the shaft 2|.

Adjustably mounted on the shaft 2| adjacent the inner face of the dial 23 against a suitable spacing collar 28 is a disc 29 having a projecting and out-turned peripheral flange 30 to register with a selected dial graduation. A wire spring 3| is medially pinned to the disc 29 with one leg thereof impinging against the shaft collar 28. The other leg of said spring extends movably through an apertured lug 32 on the disc 29 and terminates beyond the peripheries of the disc 29 and dial 23 in the afore-mentioned timeoff lug 25. It will thus be obvious that when the winged nut 21 is released, the dial 23, disc 29, and hand 24 may all be independently adjusted on the shaft 2| to properly locate the same. An adjustment of the disc 29 (manipulated through the lug 36) is effective to adjust the time-off member 25 as the spring 3| is carried by said disc. When the nut 2'! is tightened the dial, disc, hand, and lugs are clamped relative to the shaft, by virtue of the clamping collars, and all of said members on the shaft 2| will turn therewith.

The circuit to be controlled by the improved switch mechanism includes contact arms 33 and 34, and if desired, another circuit for similar and simultaneous operation and control may include contact arms 35 and 35. Contact arms 33 and 34 are secured to separated inner upper wall portions of the front plate l5, while the contact arms 35 and 35 are secured to separated inner upper wall portions of the rear plate is. Circuit wires 31, 38, 39 and 49 have their extremities engaged by binding posts on the upper portions of the members 33, 34, 35 and 36 respectively. Spring metal switch elements 4| and 42 are secured at their inner ends to the lower angled portions of the members 33 and 35. The outer ends of the elements 4| and 42 are adapted to make and break contact with the angled ends of the members 34 and 36. In this form of the invention, utilizing two circuits, the same are opened and closed simultaneously. Also, if desired, one of the circuits may be dispensed with.

Extending through the front plate I5, some- What above the dial 23 and in vertical alinement with the shaft 2|, is a squared shaft 43. The inner end portion of the squared shaft 43 is reduced and rounded, as at 43 (see Fig. 5), and extends revolubly through a circular opening therefor in the rear plate IS. A screw 44 is threaded into said end portion of the shaft 43 to retain the same relative to the plate l6.

For the purpose of actuating the switch element 42 of the circuit which includes the wires 39 and 49, a cam 45 is mounted on an inner portion of the squared shaft 43, a central portion of said cam having a squared opening to receive said shaft portion. On said shaft 43, be tween the cam 45 and the inner face of the plate I5, is a spacing collar 46. On the other side of said cam 45 the shaft 43 carries a longer spacing collar 4!. On a more forward portion of the shaft 43, between the forward end of the spacing collar 41 and another spacing collar 48 is a circuit operating cam 49. Said cam has a squared opening to receive the squared shaft 43. The forward end of the shaft 43 is reduced and extends through an opening therefor in the front plate l5. The projecting portion of said shaft has fast thereon a circuit operating disc 59.

Extending transversely through the front plate |5 adjacent the operating disc: 59, and above the dial 23, is a stud shaft 5| on the outer end of which is mounted a bell-crank lever 52. Said bell-crank lever is revoluble relative to the stud shaft 5|, but is connected with the disc 50 by means of a spring 53 which is connected respectively with one arm on the bell-crank lever and a peripheral portion of the control disc 50. The lever 52 has its inner extremity flanged outwardly so as to lie in the path of movement of the time-on arm 24. The same arm. of the lever 52 is provided with a lug 54 adapted, under certain conditions, to lodge in a shoulder recess 55 in the disc 59 to hold said disc against undesired rotation. An edge portion of the disc, adjacent the recess 55 is provided with an edge flange 51 with the result that when the disc moves in a clockwise direction its range of movement will be limited by abutment of the flange 51 with a pin 53. One side of the circuit control disc 59 carries an extension arm 59 for convenience in manual manipulation of said disc.

When the improved automatic time switch is to be utilized for the making and breaking of one or two similar circuits (and in the case of two circuits, simultaneous operation of the same), the circuit wires 31 and 38 may extend to and include electric lights in one show window, for instance, and the circuit wires 39 and 40 will extend to and include the electric lights in an adjacent show window. Let it be assumed that the lights in both show windows are to be turned on at 7:00 p. m. and are to be turned off at 3:00 a. m. It may also be assumed that the particular time of day is 5:30 a. In. All of these conditions are represented by the adjustments of the dial, hand and lug depicted in Fig. 1. The tension spring 53 is holding the bell-crank lever 52 in a position in which its lug 54 engages in the control disc recess 55, whereby the control disc is held under tension in an advanced counterclockwise rotated position. In this position the elongated portions of the operating cams 45 and 49 are in engagement with the yieldable switch elements 4| and 42 and hold the contact ends of the same in raised circuit breaking positions.

Obviously, therefore, the circuits to the show windows will be broken.

At this point is may be stated that notwithstanding the operation of the clock mechanism to drive the dial 23, the switches may be manually independently operated if it becomes necessary to open or close the circuits before the times for which the mechanism is set for automatic operation. To this end, the outer arm of the bell-crank lever 52 may be manually manipulated to swing said lever so as to release the lug 54 from the disc recess 55, whereupon the spring 53 will rotate the disc 50 in a limited clockwise direction until stopped by engagement of the lug 51 with the pin 58. Such movement of the operating disc 50 will cause a similar rotation of the shaft 43 and consequent movement of the cams 45 and 49. Likewise, the arm 59 on the disc 50 provides means whereby the disc may be manually turned in a desired direction.

With the conditions shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and with the setting of the mechanism as described, the circuits are open and the lights in the show windows are off. With the electric: clock mechanism driving the dial 23 through the medium of the gears and shafts, said dial will turn slowly in. a clockwise direction. When 7:00 in the evening is reached the beveled end of the time-on arm 24 will engage the angled end of the bell-crank lever 52, and as the movement of the dial continues said bell-cran k lever will be moved so as to disengage its lug 54 from the disc recess 55. This will be against the tension of the coiled spring 53 and the pull exerted by said spring will cause the disc 50 to move in a clockwise direction, upon being released, to the position of Figs. 6 and 7, in which position its movement is limited by the pin 58. The consequent movement of the squared shaft 43 is such as to move the high sides of the cams 45 and 49 away from the yieldable contact elements 4| and 42 with the result that said contact elements will snap into engagement with the fixed contacts 34 and 36. Accordingly, the circuits will be closed and the lights in the windows will be illuminated. Upon rotation of the dial 23 slightly beyond that shown in Fig. 6 the beveled end of the arm 24 will snap clear of the angled end of the bell-crank lever and the bell-crank lever will assume the position shown in Fig. 8.

As the clock dial 23 moves toward 3:00 a. m. one side of the operating lug 25 of the spring 3| will ride along a side of the pin 58 and said spring 3| will be compressed and retracted thereby, in the manner shown in Fig. 8. This action serves to put the lug 25 under compression for quick, positive and effective snap-action. Also, the compression action on the spring 3| takes place at a period very close to the time at which the mechanism is to be tripped to break the circuits and consequently close settings of the mechanism are possible with the elimination of strain on the dial driving elements. Upon further movement of the time dial 23 to reach the desired setting of 3:00 a. m. such advancement of the dial will cause the spring lug 25 to snap clear of the pin 58, striking the flange 55 on the control disc 50. This very quickly oscillates the control disc 50 and elements associated therewith in a counter-clockwise direction to an extent to cause the bell-crank lever lug 54 to snap into the disc recess 55 whereby the position of Fig. 9 is attained. Further advancement of the time dial 23 causes the lug 25, riding along the portion 55 of the disc, to compress slightly and ultimately snap beyond said disc for subsequent operation. Upon manipulation of the disc 50 and in the manner just described, the high portions of the cams 45 and 49 will again be projected against the yieldable switch elements 4| and 42 to cause the same to break the circuits.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings a modification of the invention has been illustrated wherein the switch mechanism is equipped so as to independently control two circuits in any of a plurality of sequence of operations. For this form of switch all of the mechanism is the same as that described in connection with the principal form of the invention except that the projecting end of the main shaft 2| carries fast thereon, in spaced relation, a pair of time-off discs 29 and 29 (see Fig. 11). The time dial 23 which is adjacent the outermost disc 29 has associated with its outer face a first circuit time-on hand 24 while adjacent the inner disc 29, and projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of all of said discs, is a second circuit time-on hand 24. The outermost disc 29 carries the yieldable angled spring 3| having the projecting time-off lug 25, while the inner disc 29' has adjacent thereto a similar spring 3| terminating in a second circuit time-01f lug 25'. From Fig. 11 it will be apparent that when the winged nut 21 is released the various discs may be turned on the collars on the shaft 2| so as to adjust the hands and lugs relative to the time dial. The hand 24 on the disc 29 is independently adjustable to obtain different settings of the hand 24' and lug 25 relative to the settings of the first circuit hand 24 and its lug 25. When the winged nut 21 is tightened it will be apparent that the various discs, the dial and the hands will turn jointly in a clockwise direction when the clock mechanism is operating.

This modified form of the invention likewise requires a pair of independent bell-crank levers 52 and 52' independently movably mounted on the stud shaft 5|. Also, a pair of superimposed and separated circuit controlling discs 50 and 50 are necessitated. These discs 50 and 50 are independently mounted on different extended portions of the squared shaft 43. As shown in Fig. 12 the outer disc 5!! is secured directly to the shaft 43 so that movements of said disc will directly turn the shaft and the first circuit controlling cam 45 which is directly on the shaft. The second circuit controlling cam 49 is on a sleeve 10 surrounding a forward portion of the shaft 43 and an extended portion of said sleeve 10 has the second circuit operating disc 50 carried thereby.

By virtue of the arrangement described a movement of the outermost disc 50 is effective to directly oscillate the shaft 43 and thereby actuate the cam 45 for the first circuit. This movement does not affect the inner disc 50, the sleeve I0, nor the cam 49. However, a movement of the disc 50' will cause independent movement of the cam 49 to control the contact element 4| of the second circuit.

When this arrangement of the modified construction is used for a pair of independent circuits for separate show windows a variety of settings or combinations are attainable. As depicted in Fig. 10 the first circuit is set to be closed at 5:00 p. m. and opened at 1:00 a. m. The second circuit is set to be closed at 7:00 p. m. and opened at 3:00 a. m.

It is not necessary to describe the complete operation of the modified structure but it may be stated that the several bell-crank levers and operating discs are manipulated by the sets of hands and yieldable lugs. When 5:00 in the evening is reached the innermost hand 25 will ride under a bar 'l! and will kick the lug on the extremity of the innermost bell-crank lever 52 to cause release and clockwise oscillation of the inner disc 59. This will close the circuit controlled by the element -ii as movement of the forward cam 49 is accomplished. Thereafter, at 7:00 p. in. the outermost hand 24 will kick the outermost bell-crank lever 52 to cause oscillation of the outermost disc 5%, turning of the shaft 43, and movement of the cam at to close the other circuit. Subsequent independent opening of the two circuits is accomplished first by the innermost spring lug 25' snapping and oscillating in a counter-clockwise direction, the innermost disc 50', followed at the proper time by similar operation of the outermost disc by the spring lug 25. It may be stated that in this form of the invention the innermost spring lug 25 is put under tension by engagement with the pin 58 while the outermost spring lug 255 is put under compression by engagement with the surface of the bar I l.

The foregoing explanation of the operation of the modified form of automatic time switch has relation to a certain proposed setting of the controlling hands and lugs. Many more combinations or schedules of operation are possible including the following operation of circuits:

First circuit on-second circuit onboth circuits off simultaneously Both circuits on simultaneously-first circuit elf-second circuit off First circuit onsecond circuit on-first circuit oflsecond circuit off First circuit onfirst circuit off and simultaneously second circuit onsecond circuit off First circuit on-first circuit oiisecond circuit onsecond circuit ofl First circuit onsecond circuit onsecond circuit off-first circuit off The improved automatic time switch is a unitary structure of simplified and effective mechanism which operates very forcefully and with snap-actions. While the switch is automatic in its operation it is also susceptible of manual manipulation when it becomes desirable. The automatic time switch is of simple construction and is well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. An automatic time switch, comprising a dial, a yieldable switch element included in and controlling an electric circuit, snap-action mechanism associated with said switch element for operating the latter, and means for initiating successive reverse movements of said mechanism during continued movement of the time dial, said means including a trip arm and a yielding and compressible trigger lug, both of which are adjustably associated with said dial for movement therewith.

3. An automatic time switch, comprising a time mechanism having a rotatable time indicating dial, a yieldabl switch element included in and controlling an electric circuit, snap-action mechanism associated with said switch element for operating the latter, means for initiating successive reverse oscillations of said mechanism during continued rotation of the time dial, said means including a trip arm and a yielding and compressible trigger lug, both of which are adjustably associated with said dial for rotation therewith, and means engaging said lug to compress the same during a certain movement of the dial, the lug being released by said means and expanding upon further movement of the dial.

4. A time switch, comprising a switch member, switch moving means, a switch controlling disc, a latch lever, tension means extending between the latch lever and the disc, a clock, a time dial driven by said clock, means adjustably associated with said dial for movement therewith for disengaging the disc and latch lever for one operation of the switch, and tensioned means also adjustably associated with said dial for movement therewith for engaging the disc and latch lever for another operation of the switch.

5. An automatic time switch, comprising a time mechanism having a movable time indicating dial, two sets of arms and trigger lugs moving with said dial, said arms and trigger lugs being adjustably secured in selected positions relative to the dial, a movable switch element for controlling one electric circuit, a second movable switch element for controlling a second electric circuit, means between one arm and one trigger lug and the first switch element whereby movement of said arm and said lug with the dial will close and open said switch element, means between the other arm and trigger lug and the second switch element whereby movement of the latter arm and lug with the dial will close and open the second switch element, the means for actuating each switch element including an oscillatory member, a cam moved thereby, a pivotal latch lever for temporarily holding the oscillatory member under tension in one position, the latch lever extending into the path of movement of an arm and being released by engagement therewith, the oscillatory member extending into the path of movement of a t-igger lug and being snapped into latch lever engaging position by movement and expansion of said trigger lug, and means for putting the trigger lugs under compression during a portion of the range of travel of the time dial.

BENJAMIN F. FLEGEL. 

